Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Available Now

Set in a near-future Ghana, Remote Control tells the story of Death’s adoptive daughter and her quest to find the mysterious object that gifted her with her deadly touch. As she travels across dirt roads and through the villages, Sankofa fills the people she encounters with fear and dread. Her powers are widely known but, even to Sankofa, a great mystery as to how they work and why. Her journey is made even more difficult by her inability to interact with the large amounts of technology found in each city and town she comes to. As she closes in on her final destination, we learn how Sankofa began her transformation from innocent child to a powerful and determined young woman. Through her imaginative and descriptive writing, Okorfar transports readers to a beautiful and intriguing world full of fascinating technology and interesting characters. Remote Control is an engrossing and compelling story of family, acceptance, and finding your place in the world. 

I absolutely love Nnedi Okorafor’s writing and thoroughly enjoyed every page of this novella. The story is so well crafted and the slow reveal of Sankofa’s transformation from young Fatima who loves watching the stars from the branches of a shea tres to the determined and deadly Sankofa who travels across the country alone to seek out her goal is stunning. Okorafor’s writing is incredibly descriptive and you find yourself walking along with Sankofa on the hot, dusty roads and you can feel the anger and fear emanating from the people she encounters. 

Remote Control is an incredible story and don’t let the young protagonist fool you, this is hardly a book for children. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Nnedi Okorafor’s work before, this is an excellent place to start. She recently had a story called Mother of Invention read on two episodes of LeVar Burton’s podcast, LeVar Burton Reads, about a smart house that takes on an important role in the birth of a young woman’s baby. Highly recommend-it made painting my new bedroom far more enjoyable. 

If you would like to add this book to your collection, or recommend it to your favorite Librarian, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.  This post contains affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate.